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Dear Councilors,

Is there any reason why there is no formal restaurant or pub type place in the new sports center?

Was this a complete oversight, or was it discussed and shot down?

I spend sooooo much time there and everyone, and I mean everyone, I talk with is asking the same question!

I eagerly await any responses

Thanks

Matt

Thanks Zeeshan.

I suspect this was all in motion before you were elected but I would love to know and see what can be done about rectifying this. With the beach volleyball pads, all the hockey and other sports, there is a huge demand and void!

Matt

yes, i used to live in BC and the libraries there had coffee shops in them - it was great!

also, much better pools there but that is a point for another thread....

Interesting thought. There is a concession stand inside (fast food) but no there wasn't any talk that I remember about a restaurant/pub being located inside the sports centre. I'm assuming your not suggesting the town/municpality operate such a business itself (which I'd be against) but it could be a nice idea if the town leased out a portion to a private business partner to run that type of business. But then you start putting demands on parking, facility size, etc and I'm not sure if a strong enough business case is there for having a restaurant inside the sports centre. The town doesn't want to risk tax payers money and is usually fiscally conservative of 'investing' tax dollars. The focus on the sports centre is community sports.

There was a full public workshop consultation period where residents were welcome to come and provide input.

You might be interested in the Willmott heritage propery located by the sports centre/community park (the orange part in the map below) as one of the options that is being investigated is if it could be leased out as a Daycare facility, Restaurant/Pub, or Community Office/Senior Care location. One of those 3 options. Personally I'd prefer the day care (cause it would be surrounded by the community park/sports centre facility so great location I thought) but restaurant/pub is also one of the options. A business partner would have to be found, and said business partner would have to invest their money in renovating the property (while keeping the heritage aspects in tact) to allow for the business use. This would be less risk because it wouldn't require the same amount of initial investment of the town and if it became vacant it wouldn't cause the same cost risks that having built facility space inside the actual sports centre would have. Thoughts? It would be a great location right between the sports centre and community park area.

Ive heard a few rumours of some potential ideas of having a pub/restaurant in that area but nothing confirmed yet. It is a good idea and Im sure if we plan it right, it can happen.

Need some good entreprenuers. Anyone?

_________________
Mike Cluett
Local/Regional Councillor
Wards 1,6,7 & 8

Website | Email mike@mikecluett.ca | Cell (647) 888-9032 | Facebook Page | | Twitter @Mike_Cluett

Zeesh,

I half jokingly mentioned opening a Starbucks at the Beaty Branch Library during the consultations with neighbors. My suggestion would have been more serious had I known libraries in BC have coffee shops.

Rick,
The Willmott property isn't a bad idea for a resto/pub. Even better, develop a municipal golf course, farm out the building of a clubhouse to a company that specializes in banquets and let them open a small pub as well. That community park site looks ideal for a golf course with the creek nearby. Also, build a new curling rink on the property to encourage year round use. The greatest sports all are linked to having a bevy, golf, curling and darts!

Orangeville Alder Arena, Oakville 16 Mile Sportsplex all have pubs or bars in them. I have been to numerous others that have them as well.

A snack bar is only good for small things. Imagine a shoeless joes type location there. you can sit down and actually eat a meal, have a beer, and relax. The sports centre's snack bar is horrible. The prices are way out of whack and there is no seating. Infact, there is a complete lack of seating any where there. There must be benches and tables for 30 people max with 4 rinks on with a combined amount of people on them of probably 150-200+ with no where for parents to sit.

Rick, apparantly other arena's were visited to get design ideas by town staff before the design was finalised. There appears to not have been any thought of this at all.

Any pub, restaurant whatever needs to be attatched to the hockey pad areas, it cannot be close by.

Matt

It's not "inside" but Rad Brothers is opening across the street.. a 30 second walk from the facility. Can't wait to bring the team there after our games.

Matt, I like the idea. Wish someone would have mentioned it during the public consultations. But it would also have to have been evaluated based on a business case, business partners, and risk to the town. The Sixteen mile sports complex just recently opened and didn't exist back then during the 2009 pubilc consultations.

There would have had to have been some interest in this back in 2009 with public consultations etc. I'm not familar with how the design work was done pre-public consultations but there is a feasibility study that I'll read to find out more.

Saying that, remember Milton's still growing. There's going to be future sport facility expansions.

The concept of a bar / restuarant is nothing new and predates 2009. Actually it is such common place in both municpally run arenas and private arenas that I would have thought it would be a given.

Step into any number of arena in and around the GTA and you'll find the standard bar / restuarant with huge glass walls overlooking the action on each of its ice rinks.

Rick is making this seem like it is out of the box thinking and cutting edge, when in fact its just run of the mill.

Then why didn't you or someone else (either in person or in written email) mention it when the town was ASKING for design input?

From what I saw, it wasnt suggested. Or at least wasn't recorded in the input collected through public consultations I remember reading.

Also yes, for munipalities our size I didn't think it was commonplace. But Orangeville is only 30,000 so it could be as you say more normal than I thought. But regardless, as I said I like the idea. Wish it was suggested back in 2009 when design options were being looked at. Although I'm not sure if this was part of the shovel-ready time restrictions or not back then. Would have to more research to find out. I wasn't at council meetings in 2009.

I know that the Restaurant/Bar at the Iceland's rinks in Mississauga is run by the City Of Mississauga, not contracted out to someone to run it.

I know that the Restaurant/Bar at the Iceland's rinks in Mississauga is run by the City Of Mississauga, not contracted out to someone to run it.

Plus a pro shop, banquet & catering facilities and an olympic sized rink with seating for 1200 compared to our biggest new rink topping out at 500. Mississauga's and Oakville's both have some pretty sweet facilities.

Rick DeLorenzo said[/quote]

Just a little bit of back ground on this as I was on council when the initial decisions were made on the sports center. At that time I raised the issue of putting in a bar/restaurant, the concern at the time was the liabilty issue for the town, I recommended we do as other municipalities and contract that part out to a private company, the council of the day voted that down.It seems when phase 2 of the project was approved the same recommendation came forward with the same result. It seems back then as is the case now, we had more left wingers than right wingers on council.

I have 2 nephews who play rep hockey and I have visited many arenas and the vast majority of them have a pub/bar facility and I can not understand why we do not.

I am planning to make a recommendation that we seek a private company to take over the concessions and pro shop facility at all our arenas as I feel a private company could provide a far better service at a lower cost to taxpayers, I am also hoping that if this occurs that this private company will be licensed and able to establish a bar/pub in our sports center. Let's see where that goes.

Rick Malboeuf
Councillor Ward 4